A major trade union initiative in
solidarity with Venezuela has been launched by the Hands Off Venezuela campaign. Coinciding
with the celebration of International Workers' day, Hands Off Venezuela is
promoting an "Open letter to US trade unionists". The appeal comes
after the recent belligerent statements and attacks on President Chavez on the
part of the representatives of the Bush Administration, which, according to
Jorge Martin, HOV international secretary, "pose a direct threat to the
working people of Venezuela".

The aim of this campaign is to raise
awareness within the labour movement in the United States about what is really happening in Venezuela
and particularly about the threat posed by the aggressive stance of the US
administration. "Such aggressive statements from the White House are of
the same kind of language that was used to prepare the ground for US
intervention in Vietnam, Cuba, Chile, Iraq and elsewhere," said Jorge. "The democratically elected
government of Hugo Chavez has been accused of everything, from linking up with
North Korea, supplying arms to the Colombian FARC guerrillas and funding the ‘subversive’
MAS in Bolivia, to forming an axis of evil with Cuba's Castro, starting an arms
race in Latin America, and harbouring Al-Qaeda terrorists" he added,
"but there is not a single shred of evidence for any of these
accusations".

For this reason the campaign will be
participating in May Day marches in more than 20 countries in three continents
to highlight the achievements of the Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela
and collecting signatures of trade union activists and leaders for the
"Open Letter to US trade unionists".

"We think that the only force that
can stop intervention against Venezuela
is the US labour movement, together with the youth, students and
intellectuals and artists," Jorge explained. Venezuelan President Hugo
Chavez has always stressed that the Bolivarian movement has nothing against the
people of the US, only against the aggressive policies pursued by the Bush
administration.

The Hands Off Venezuela campaign, active
in more than 30 countries around the world, has been campaigning to defend the
Venezuelan revolution for more than two and a half years. The campaign has been
publicly backed by President Chavez, and more recently by Adan Chavez, the
Venezuelan ambassador to Cuba who
said, "I recognise the invaluable work of the Hands Off Venezuela
campaign. I appeal to you to go forward, be sure that this work will give
important fruits in the end".

Orlando Chirinos, national coordinator of
the UNT (National Workers Union) in Venezuela
recognised the campaign as "an extraordinary initiative. It is the only
significant campaign that is taking place internationally." In an
interview with Alan Woods, who was in Venezuela
attending the 3rd World Gathering in Solidarity with the Bolivarian Revolution,
he said that he "considers the links between the UNT and the Hands Off
Venezuela Campaign as very important". The campaign has been fighting to
get recognition for the newly created UNT within the trade union movement in Europe.

It was in discussions with leading
figures in the Bolivarian movement and the Venezuelan trade unions during Alan
Woods’ visit, that the idea of the campaign was raised. "Revolutionary
activists in Venezuela are very keen to reach ordinary working people in the US
so that they can break the campaign of lies and propaganda of the mass media
about what is really going on in Venezuela," said Alan Woods. The struggle
in Venezuela is, amongst other things, against privatisation and for free health
care and education for all. The labour movement in the United States surely can relate to these issues.

Hands Off Venezuela has also given
material and moral support to the struggle of the workers in the occupied
factories in Venezuela, particularly the Venepal paper mill and the valve making CNV
factory. These companies were closed down by their owners as part of the
campaign of sabotage against the democratically elected government of Hugo
Chavez. The workers decided to occupy them, and after a long struggle the
companies were expropriated and are now run under joint management of the state
and the workers. At a meeting to discuss the role of the workers in the
economy, which took place at the Caracas Central University (UCV), representatives
of the workers in both factories thanked the Hands Off Venezuela campaign for
the role played by international solidarity in their victories.

You can participate in the campaign by downloading the information leaflet and the petition and using it in your
area, trade union branch or university.

A major trade union initiative in
solidarity with Venezuela has been launched by the Hands Off Venezuela campaign. Coinciding
with the celebration of International Workers' day, Hands Off Venezuela is
promoting an "Open letter to US trade unionists". The appeal comes
after the recent belligerent statements and attacks on President Chavez on the
part of the representatives of the Bush Administration, which, according to
Jorge Martin, HOV international secretary, "pose a direct threat to the
working people of Venezuela".

The aim of this campaign is to raise
awareness within the labour movement in the United States about what is really happening in Venezuela
and particularly about the threat posed by the aggressive stance of the US
administration. "Such aggressive statements from the White House are of
the same kind of language that was used to prepare the ground for US
intervention in Vietnam, Cuba, Chile, Iraq and elsewhere," said Jorge. "The democratically elected
government of Hugo Chavez has been accused of everything, from linking up with
North Korea, supplying arms to the Colombian FARC guerrillas and funding the ‘subversive’
MAS in Bolivia, to forming an axis of evil with Cuba's Castro, starting an arms
race in Latin America, and harbouring Al-Qaeda terrorists" he added,
"but there is not a single shred of evidence for any of these
accusations".

For this reason the campaign will be
participating in May Day marches in more than 20 countries in three continents
to highlight the achievements of the Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela
and collecting signatures of trade union activists and leaders for the
"Open Letter to US trade unionists".

"We think that the only force that
can stop intervention against Venezuela
is the US labour movement, together with the youth, students and
intellectuals and artists," Jorge explained. Venezuelan President Hugo
Chavez has always stressed that the Bolivarian movement has nothing against the
people of the US, only against the aggressive policies pursued by the Bush
administration.

The Hands Off Venezuela campaign, active
in more than 30 countries around the world, has been campaigning to defend the
Venezuelan revolution for more than two and a half years. The campaign has been
publicly backed by President Chavez, and more recently by Adan Chavez, the
Venezuelan ambassador to Cuba who
said, "I recognise the invaluable work of the Hands Off Venezuela
campaign. I appeal to you to go forward, be sure that this work will give
important fruits in the end".

Orlando Chirinos, national coordinator of
the UNT (National Workers Union) in Venezuela
recognised the campaign as "an extraordinary initiative. It is the only
significant campaign that is taking place internationally." In an
interview with Alan Woods, who was in Venezuela
attending the 3rd World Gathering in Solidarity with the Bolivarian Revolution,
he said that he "considers the links between the UNT and the Hands Off
Venezuela Campaign as very important". The campaign has been fighting to
get recognition for the newly created UNT within the trade union movement in Europe.

It was in discussions with leading
figures in the Bolivarian movement and the Venezuelan trade unions during Alan
Woods’ visit, that the idea of the campaign was raised. "Revolutionary
activists in Venezuela are very keen to reach ordinary working people in the US
so that they can break the campaign of lies and propaganda of the mass media
about what is really going on in Venezuela," said Alan Woods. The struggle
in Venezuela is, amongst other things, against privatisation and for free health
care and education for all. The labour movement in the United States surely can relate to these issues.

Hands Off Venezuela has also given
material and moral support to the struggle of the workers in the occupied
factories in Venezuela, particularly the Venepal paper mill and the valve making CNV
factory. These companies were closed down by their owners as part of the
campaign of sabotage against the democratically elected government of Hugo
Chavez. The workers decided to occupy them, and after a long struggle the
companies were expropriated and are now run under joint management of the state
and the workers. At a meeting to discuss the role of the workers in the
economy, which took place at the Caracas Central University (UCV), representatives
of the workers in both factories thanked the Hands Off Venezuela campaign for
the role played by international solidarity in their victories.

You can participate in the campaign by downloading the information leaflet and the petition and using it in your
area, trade union branch or university.